Aptis, a subsidiary of Dong-A ST, said on the 27th that it signed a business agreement with Cops Bio for joint research on a new antibody–degrader conjugate (DAC) drug.
An antibody–drug conjugate (ADC) is called a "guided missile anticancer drug" because it combines a toxic drug with an antibody that homes in on cancer cells for a precise strike. The DAC the two companies are developing goes a step further. Instead of a toxic drug (payload), it connects a targeted protein degrader (TPD) to the antibody (linker) to remove specific proteins inside cancer cells. It is cited as having the advantage of acting more precisely on intracellular targets while reducing the toxic burden.
Based on its third-generation site-selective linker–conjugation platform "AbClick," Aptis has the technology to precisely attach degrader drugs (payloads) to antibodies.
Cops Bio is an early-stage biotech venture specialized in covalent inhibitors and molecular glue degraders, and through its in-house chemoproteomics platform "RaPIDome," it has capabilities in discovering new targets and designing payloads.
Through this collaboration, the two companies will begin co-developing a DAC pipeline targeting solid and hematologic cancers. As protein degradation therapeutics are combined with antibody-based delivery technologies, the companies expect to expand existing ADC technology into a targeted protein-removal therapy.
Han Tae-dong, CEO of Aptis, said, "Aptis, whose technological competitiveness has been recognized in the global ADC market, will do its best through this collaboration to accelerate the establishment of a world-class DAC pipeline."
Choi Hwan-geun, CEO of Cops Bio, said, "By combining Cops Bio's know-how in targeted protein degradation with Aptis' proven linker technology, we will offer new treatment options to patients suffering from intractable cancers."